Shrinking Violet
by NarnianOpal
Summary: Hearing rumors of a new spirit with powers to rival his own, Pitch vows to do anything in his power to destroy it, only to discover that his 'nemesis' is a child. Still furious about his defeat, he is determined not to underestimate her as he did Jack Frost. When plans go awry, an interesting development may prove promising; the child is shy, has no memory, and is full of fear.
1. I Am

***Author's Note*** (Thank you so much for reading this!)

This first chapter might be a little rough around the edges and has more of a daydream-like feel to it than I anticipated, but the action should pick up after this. I was trying to imagine what it might be like to wake up with no memories, but have words for everything around you. It was harder than I thought...

I've had this story sitting on the back burner for quite a while, and I decided that it was about time to gather my courage and write the darn thing! I was hesitant to post this as it does not currently have an editor or beta reader, but I will try my best to correct any mistakes that I find. If you happen to notice any errors, or something that you simply find confusing, please let me know!

* * *

**-oo0O0oo-**

I remember what it was like to wake up. At first, there was nothing. I was not floating, for there was no ground. Time did not exist here, neither sound nor light. All was one, and my world was at peace.

Then came the inkling. That first stirring that rippled away from the rest of space and time to become thought, the spark of an idea, the beginning of understanding. With thought came the beginnings of awareness, the idea of something separate from the void, the first concept of _self._ "I am", my heart spoke to the universe, and with that affirmation, my eyes opened for the first time, and my life began.

Time has continued to pass since then, but it is something I somehow know that I will never forget. The world was full of endless possibilities, and the future hung before me like a blank canvass just waiting for the first tender stroke of the master. In that moment, I came to be. In that moment, I began to define myself.

Words came to my mind as though I had always known them. Words I used to define what I felt and saw and touched. _Human. _I was _human._

_Wind_ teased at my _hair_, laughingly whipping the brown strands around. Hair brushed aside by _hands_, meant to hold, to reach and to touch. _Feet_ and _toes_ that clenched and dug into the ground, feeling the first, soft caress of the fragrant grass they were cradled in. _Eyes_ that took in everything around me with a sudden hunger that was startling in its intensity. Eyes that blurred with tears of sudden relief as the light of the moon shone down.

Alive. I was alive, and the world was beautiful.

I would soon learn that even that which was beautiful could still cause pain.

**-oo0O0oo-**

Those first few moments of wondering innocence could not last forever, for the world is not a safe place, and evil does not wait until you are ready. The light of the moon cast shadows through the trees, and it was from those shadows that I would first learn of fear, and of pain.

Shadows writhed as the trees shifted, while the wind drew closer like a silent protector. Laughter echoed eerily, and for the first time, the moon's light grew sharper, harsher, as though it too was afraid of what lurked in the dark. It seemed as though the world itself was holding its breath, tensing in focused expectation of what was to come.

I didn't understand. I was so new and so overwhelmed. There was too much to take in, and interpreting it I knew would take experience that I simply didn't have. All I knew was that I was alone, it was dark, and I was scared; so when a figure finally melted from the shadows, I welcomed it, and by doing so I unknowingly sealed my fate.

It was a man, tall and dark, with golden eyes that peered out from the sharp shadows cast by his face. The shadows seemed to move around him, hanging from his frame like a robe and groveling at his feet like servants to their king. Though I had yet to meet another living soul, a part of me insisted that I knew this man, and that part of me recognized that within his shadows lurked the very embodiment of danger. Realizing this, my body and my mind both froze when the dark man spoke.

"So, you are the new spirit that MiM has chosen, the one he thinks will have power to rival my own? Ha! You're nothing more than a child!" My body tensed as he drew closer, like a predator examining its prey. I had no idea who MiM was, or anything about powers. All I knew was the feeling of that peaceful place that I had come from, and as the darkness nipped at the dark man's heels, I struggled to hold on to the feeling of safety I had felt before. As though sensing these thoughts in the face of my fear and finding them distasteful, the figure sneered in disgust, revealing two rows of unnaturally sharp teeth that sent another tingle of unease down my spine. He turned abruptly and faced the moon with what seemed to be disgust.

"Of course, this is not the first time you have sent a child against me. I may have underestimated him before, but I do not intend to make the same mistake now. I am surprised at you, though. For someone who claims his purpose is to protect the children of the world, you have quite the habit of sending them into danger. Not that it matters to me, but truly, MiM, you are quite the hypocrite."

I had started to edge away while the man was speaking, but halted and felt my breath catch when his yellowy eyes were once again on my trembling figure. He paused, as though searching for something, but whatever it was that he found, he seemed disappointed in it. The shake of his head seemed to confirm this conclusion, and the desire to get away grew so strong that it was almost choking, yet I was rooted to the spot, prisoner to his next words as the shadows drew closer.

"Such a pity. I could use a strong ally, but I can already tell that you would be useless. Jack at least had some fire to him! I don't know what MiM was thinking. Perhaps he's finally gone senile in his old age. There's no way that a little thing like you could ever stand against me, and I was so hoping for a challenge! But perhaps there is a way we could at least make this interesting…"

Suddenly he was in front of me, his shadows crushing in all around and his long fingers clenching my chin in a vice, forcing me to look at him. I saw my frightened reflection in his eyes, though the image seemed tainted within his gaze. I could hear the wind howling as it tried to claw me away from his grasp, but his hold was firm and I could not move. A dark, oily wash of tainted darkness swept over me and my mind reeled with disgust. I could hear him laughing again as I was suddenly released and was finally able to move. My world spun as the shadows pulsed and writhed like living things. Yet once again my gaze was still captured by the intense yellow eyes now glinting with a sickening kind of amusement, somehow more terrifying than anything I had yet seen. Bad things happen when the devil has reason to laugh.

Even leaning down, he seemed to loom larger than before as the darkness cloaked him. His voice was nearly a whisper, but held a promise that caused my heart to beat faster than before.

"Now, little rabbit, I suggest you run."


	2. Rabbits Run

~*Jack Frost* POV~

Jack didn't know what to think at first when the wind started to pick up. It shouldn't have been a surprise, as the North wind was known for being temperamental, but for the gentle West wind this was entirely out of character.

He had been preparing to go south to avoid the warmer weather that heralded the spring, but had been putting it off to spend as much time in Burgess as possible. It had become a sort of tradition to see how long he could stretch the winter season, which had the added bonus of annoying the Groundhog and a certain Easter kangaroo. However, after getting to know Bunnymund and seeing for himself just how important Easter was to him, Jack had been careful to make sure that things went well for his egg hunts, at least as far as weather was concerned. Not that he would ever admit to such a thing. Feeling guilty about helping Pitch destroy Easter may have had something to do with it, but by some silent understanding it was agreed that Jack would never tell and Bunny would never ask.

The subject of the Easter blizzard of '68 was still a sore point, but for the most part the two had come to terms with each other and now had a friendly rivalry that both secretly enjoyed. The two may pretend indifference, but somehow each had managed to find a certain respect for the other's work. For this reason, this Easter had been frost free and had gone off without a hitch, until now.

The day had been warm and pleasant, perfect for hunting eggs, though too warm for Jack's liking. The night should have been clear as well, yet the wind was picking up, and Jack had nothing to do with it. The cold, North wind was at his side as ever, but this wind blew from the West, with a surprisingly sharp edge that was uncharacteristic for gentle Zephyr. As it moaned and howled to its brother wind, Jack could only reason that something was very wrong. Putting aside reason in favor of curiosity, Jack rode the wind as a surfer would a wave, setting off into the night in search of the disturbance, leaving nothing behind but a sudden chill in the evening air.

-oo0O0oo-

The wind blew through the trees and chased scudding clouds over the moon, casting shadows in cycles of darkness. The shadows were everywhere, and some of them were solid, lashing out and clawing at me, only to let go and continue the chase. It was a game. A sickening kind of game played between hunter and prey, and there was no doubt in my mind as to what I was.

Running was becoming hard, but there was no chance to stop. My breath was coming in rapid burst and every sound was much louder than it should have been. Everything seemed so much bigger and much more frightening, but I knew it was not simply my imagination. There were real monsters that lurked in the dark here, and the consequences would be all too real when they decided to stop playing. I could tell that there was something wrong with the way my mind perceived things, but there was no time to figure out what. The dark man had done something to me, something that caused the ground to lurch and the trees to tower while his shadows chased me onwards. I could feel a sickening sense of promise that I would soon find out.

Sure enough, the shadows began to draw closer together, their attacks becoming sharper and closer to making contact. I could hear echoes of the dark man's laughter as I strained myself to run faster, to escape. The shadow creatures had grown impatient with the chase, and would soon go in for the kill.

A sharp blow knocked me off my feet and I scrambled hard as I felt myself skid, desperate to get my legs under me, yet as I tried to push myself up from the ground I found that my legs were not wanting to work properly and I could feel my panic increasing. The wind had grown sharp with a biting cold that had not been there before, sending small puffs of steam into the air as I cowered and tried to control my breathing. The shadow creatures growled, but did not breathe, only solidifying how unnatural they were. They drew close, cutting off every escape point but never attacking. They shook with impatience, but waited for their master's signal. There was nowhere to go, and as the tall figure oozed form the shadows, I could feel the game come to its end with the finality of a door closing, cutting off all trace of light.

-oo0O0oo-

~*Jack Frost* POV~

Jack didn't know what he had been expecting, but a howling swarm of Pitch's nightmares was not it. He had followed the agitated winds to the wilds of Canada, which was out of place for Pitch as he preferred to prey on more populated areas where large groups of children with nightmares could be found. Recently he had found a thriving haunt in the Middle East where war still raged and nightmares found fertile ground. To find him in such a remote place was unusual, and put Jack on edge.

Another oddity was the form that the nightmares took. Rather than the familiar equine shape, these nightmares were clearly predators, and on closer inspection held a strong resemblance in form to that of a greyhound like Abby, Jamie's dog. They were chasing something, but the form was too small to make out. It might not have been unusual to see an animal being hunted, but it was very strange for Pitch to set his nightmares to such a task. Whatever it was that was being chased must be important for Pitch to go to so much trouble, and it could not mean anything good for the guardians, whatever it was he had in mind.

The agitation of the brother winds only seemed to confirm that everything was not as it seemed, making the choice for Jack an easy one. Whatever Pitch was up to, Jack was not going to let things go his way.

He could see the shadow hounds corner whatever it was, and the wind snapped in wordless defense. Jack responded in kind, sending the temperature plunging and drawing power to him from the cold air. As soon as Pitch revealed himself, Jack responded in his typical fashion that often had his fellow guardians in conniptions; he took one look at Pitch surrounded by his shadow horde, and charged right in.

-oo0O0oo-

He was laughing. I was frightened, alone, and in pain, and the monster was laughing. That sound was one of the most frightening things I can ever imagine hearing. I could see him leering down at me from his horse made of shadows, surrounded by countless growling monsters forged from nightmares themselves. There was no mercy in his gaze. No sign of hope of salvation in sight. I looked once again into the yellow depths of his eyes, and I knew that I was going to die.

All I could do was shiver and try to breathe. I had run, but I had not been fast enough. I had lost the game and ceased to entertain him. Not even the moon could shine through the clustering shadows of looming trees. I had been born alone, and I would now die alone, without ever being given the chance to live.

The signal must have been silent, for chaos suddenly erupted and there was movement everywhere, but not all of it was directed at me. It was enough, though, as shadowy jaws snapped and fought each other to get closer. I did my best to get away and found that though I could not outrun the shadows I could change direction very quickly, making it harder for the shadow beasts to catch me. The few seconds my actions bought allowed me to look for the shadow man, and I could see that he was distracted, but whatever it was moved too fast for me to clearly see it.

The wind blew sharp and cold, slashing through the shadows with anger I didn't know the elements could possess. I could hear shouting and the shushing sound that the shadows made as they moved. There were also bright flashes of light and a crackling sound accompanied by strong bursts of frigid air. Whatever it was that had come had obviously enraged the dark man, and though the distraction was welcome, the increased agitation of the shadows did not bode well for me.

My fears were confirmed when I was finally caught. Large jaws snapped down on my back, biting and burning against my skin as I was forcibly lifted into the air. I squirmed and scrambled, kicked and fought, but only succeeded in causing those jaws to bite down harder and the skin to tear. It hurt, and I was completely powerless when the world around me blurred together as I was shaken like a rag doll. I couldn't remember how I knew it, but in my frantic state of mind I knew that this was meant to be a killing blow. The predator would use the force of motion to snap the neck of its prey. Another shake and I was in agony, finally managing to cry out my pain and terror in a shrill shriek that even I was startled by.

I could feel myself losing consciousness, but fought it because I knew that if I gave in now there was very little chance that I would wake up again. Just as the world was starting to fade, a jolt of icy energy rippled through the monster, and the burning teeth were suddenly gone, but I didn't fall.

It felt almost like being under water, where the idea of weight and gravity no longer seems to apply, but without the pressure of having to hold your breath. For this I was grateful as breathing had become difficult and I didn't think I could have survived a fall in my current state. When the ground came, it was gentle as I was softly lowered. I knew I was bleeding, and my body hurt to move but I was grateful to be free of the darkness and the monsters that lived in it. I didn't know what had happened, but the forest was now silent, other than the wind that tugged at me in a soothing caress, sweeping away the last sandy particles of the darkness that tried to linger.

I was startled when I once again sensed movement, and grunted in pain and fear when I was touched once again, but this touch was far different from that of the dark man or the monsters he sent. This touch was cold, yet gentle, curious and concerned rather than sharp and painful. I was not fully aware, but still found myself relaxing under the touch. I panicked as I was lifted, but found my smaller form now cradled in large but gentle arms. The wind continued to blow gently, seemingly trusting this new figure and further calming me with its gentle lullaby.

Cold, gentle fingers swept over my forehead and down my back, avoiding my injuries and continuing to soothe. It felt good, and safe, and it was hard to think of anything else. The figure tucked me close to its chest and murmured soft words to try and further calm me. "It's ok, little rabbit. You're safe now."

With the last of my awareness I latched on to that one word, but was too tired to register anything other than confusion and a vague sense that something was very wrong.

'Rabbit? But I'm not…'


	3. Winter's Fury

~*Jack Frost* POV~

Jack didn't know what to think as he stared at the small, furry bundle bleeding in his arms. The battle had been fast paced and fierce as any time he had gone up against Pitch, but this time he had been a distraction, not a target.

Pitch had clearly been after something. Something that the nightmare creatures had already pinned down by the time he had arrived. Distracted as they were, it was unusually easy to eliminate a large number of shadows in a short amount of time. It had the added bonus of making Pitch mad.

"Frost!" he had cried as the teen laughed, swooping down to freeze yet another nightmare hound. "You dare to mock me and stand in my way?! You'll pay for this!"

Same old threats, same old Pitch, nothing new there. His latest choice in monster of the week was a little unusual though. Maybe even dastardly evil villains could get bored from time to time?

As he swooped and dived, spreading frost and enjoying the periodic explosions of glittering sand, Jack tuned out whatever Pitch was screeching and allowed his mind to wander. The nightmare horses may pack a punch, at least in large groups, but Jack had idly wondered why Pitch seemed so enamored with them. If you had the power to control dreams and turn them into monsters, wouldn't you want to make them kind of intimidating? Personally, Jack would have gone with bears, or maybe yetis. Heck, even _Bunny_ would have been more intimidating than a bunch of sparkling _ponies_… Ok, his train of thought may be getting away from him now, but seriously, greyhounds? It might have been funny if Bunny was there, but what would Pitch want with a bunch of greyhounds?

After taking down a large number of nightmare hounds and dodging the occasional blast or swing from Pitch, Jack's attention was once again directed at the nightmare king, himself. They had each struck a pose and prepared to attack each other, as was expected from such encounters, when an unholy shriek had split the air, and Pitch had _smirked._

In all his centuries of living with only snow and the howling of the wind as his constant companion, Jack had never heard a sound more terrible, more filled with fear. His hair stood on end and a shiver had gone down his spine, but not from the cold. This was something raw and primal, the last cry of a creature that was dying, filled with fear in its last moments. All traces of humor vanished and Jack's own, base senses zinged in response.

This was what Pitch thrived on. This was a sound from which nightmares could be spawned, and in that moment, Jack realized that he would do anything within his power to make it stop.

With renewed fury, Jack could feel the power of winter building up inside of him, begging for an excuse to be unleashed. A savage blast tore through the remainder of the hounds, and then his staff was once again aimed at Pitch, who didn't seem at all surprised. A wave of dark sand lazily swept Jack's first blast of frost off to the side, but there was no counter attack, which caught Jack by surprise. Even the wind had died down, as if sensing the reduced threat. Jack was still wary of letting his guard down, but reluctantly resisted the temptation to attack when the dark man spoke.

"My work here is done, Frost, despite your meddling. You truly do have a bad habit of getting in the way. You'd better watch yourself, child, or that habit may get you killed. Despite what you may think, spirits are not immortal, as your little friend learned tonight. MiM was foolish to think that anyone, let alone a _child_, could have the power to stand against me!"

"What are you talking about, you dress-wearing freak?" Jack taunted.

Pitch snarled at the insult, but managed to reign in his temper with the remainder of his good humor. Things had, after all, gone according to plan. "Why not ask those guardians you're so fond of? Surely they wouldn't be keeping secrets from their newest member? How does it feel to be trusted, Jack, to be part of a team? Is it everything you imagined?" Pitch laughed at the disgust and hatred displayed across the boy's face. Really, he was far too easy to rile up.

"Don't worry, though. You can inform them that Manny's so-called _threat _has been dealt with. I'll just leave you to pick up the pieces then, shall I?" Pitch laughed once again, melting into the shadows;, leaving Jack alone and more confused than before.

It was the wind that brought Jack back to reality. It was gentle and moaning in that soothing way it did for him on long nights when sleep wouldn't come, but this time, it was not directed at him. Curious, he followed the pull to a small, darkened lump at the base of a tree, and felt a sick feeling settle in his stomach. So, this is what Pitch had been after, and by the look of things, he had gotten there too late. He was about to stand up and leave, but the curious response of the wind prompted him to reach out to the small bundle. It may be dead, but it felt only right to at least take care of the body.

Death was an uncomfortable subject for the young immortal. It was something he knew of and had seen countless times in his long years, but it was never something he was comfortable with. It was just too final. Cold in a way that made him shiver that even the harshest of winter winds were unable to do. Death was something solemn, something in which fun had no place. As much as he would try to deny it, even after regaining his memories of having experienced it himself, death was something that frightened Jack Frost.

So it was with a reluctant, trembling hand that he reached out to the still bundle… and felt warm fur at his touch.

Alive. The animal was alive, despite all that Pitch had thrown at it, despite the blood-chilling screech that had made them so sure that the fight was over. Even as the animal flinched as his cold touch, Jack couldn't help but grin. It was alive, and now that Jack was here, he would do everything he could to keep it that way.

He couldn't help but wonder as he carefully lifted and drew the creature towards him. It was in rough shape, but a stray moonbeam that managed to filter through the trees soon revealed its form: a rabbit. Well, that explained the greyhounds, at least.

Why Pitch had been after a rabbit in the first place was something he knew he would have to wonder about later. The weak movement and small puffs of breath were reassuring, but Jack knew the rabbit needed help, or it probably wouldn't last much longer.

Jack wasn't sure what to do. Sure, animals could see him but that didn't mean he knew much about them. It's not like he could take it to one of those animal doctors, either. Spirits didn't exactly have money, well, apart from Tooth, but even if he had enough grown-ups didn't believe. He remembered Jamie telling him about how he had rescued a squirrel once; he had used a soft towel to gently wrap it up to keep it from hurting itself if it got scared and had carefully taken it to his mom.

Jack didn't have a towel to use or a mom to go to, but he did have his hoodie, and he guessed that the other guardians might know what to do. North was closest and was probably his best bet. He had to know _something_ about animals as he had the reindeer to look after, plus he and the yetis _were_ masters of fixing things. Granted, none of those things they fixed were _alive_, but it was the best idea he could come up with.

Shrugging off his hoodie, Jack felt a touch vulnerable wearing only his ancient blouse and equally ancient trousers. It's not like there was anyone to see him, but he could admit to himself that the frosted, blue fabric often brought him a touch of comfort, only now there was someone who could use that comfort more. Wrapping the rabbit carefully, he brought the small bundle to his, smiling as it softly burrowed into the fold of his arms. He could hear it grunt in discomfort and found himself gently shushing and speaking softly, though he knew it could neither speak nor understand him.

"It's ok little guy. I've got you." The rabbit paused and seemed to settle at his words, making his smile grow wider. "That's it. We're gonna get you fixed up, don't worry."

With almost uncharacteristic gentleness, the wind lifted both he and his cargo. So gentle that had he not had his eyes open, Jack would almost not have known they were moving. He felt the rabbit stir and spoke once again. "It's ok, little rabbit. You're safe now." Turning with practiced precision, west wind at their heels and with more care than was usual, Jack and his charge followed the wind north to Santoff Claussen.


End file.
